Utah Judge Blocks State from Enforcing Transgender Sports Ban
issued a written injunction preventing the state from trying to enforce the law, which was approved by Republican lawmakers earlier this year, over the objections of Republican Gov.
Spencer Cox, who initially vetoed the measure.In May, three transgender athletes and their families enlisted the help of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in their case.
They then sued over the law, alleging it is discriminatory.In their complaint the plaintiffs argued that denying transgender students an equal opportunity to play school sports according to their gender identity, stigmatizing trans students, singling them out for less favorable treatment than other girls, and potentially having a negative impact on their physical and mental health.The plaintiffs also argue that the law is based on unfounded stereotypes and misconceptions about transgender female youth, rather than science, and is overly broad because it treats all transgender individuals the same, regardless of individual athletic ability.
In his ruling, Kelly found that the new law likely violates the equality guarantees of the Utah Constitution, writing that the state “did not offer persuasive reasons to categorically ban all transgender girls from competing on girls’ teams” and that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in proving that the law is discriminatory and singles them out for unfair treatment under the law.Kelly noted in his decision that blocking the law does not mean that every transgender girl will be able to play on a female-designated team, merely that she should have the chance to be able to do so.
